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Earth Overshoot Day Came Earlier Than Ever In 2016

August 18, 2016

Written byCuriosity Staff

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Humanity's ecological footprint is bigger than it should be, and it's beginning to show. An ecological footprint represents how much humanity demands from the Earth in a given year. Right now, our demand is equal to what can be supplied from 1.6 planets, according to the Global Footprint Network (GFN). Earth Overshoot Day is the annual day on which humanity has consumed the amount of natural resources that the planet can regenerate over an entire year. In 2016, Earth Overshoot Day came on August 8th, the earliest in history—not a huge surprise, since the day has crept up on the calendar since it was first recorded on December 19, 1987. From that day on, humanity has been heading in the wrong direction. In 2015, Earth Overshoot Day landed on August 13th. The GFN is asking people to live more sustainably and is requesting that countries make a stronger effort with renewable resources. Watch the video below for more on Earth Overshoot Day.